The fourth and final volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden brilliantly weaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar. Caesar must fight his toughest battle yet -- with Rome itself. Julius Caesar, fresh from triumph in Britain and Gaul, is marching on Rome with his legions of hardened veterans. His goal: to unseat Pompey, now dictator of the Empire. But waging war on your own people is never easy. And even after the city itself is taken and Julius, Brutus, Mark Antony and Octavian re-enter in triumph, there are many battles left to fight. For across the Empire -- in Spain, Africa, Greece, across Asia Minor -- there are legions loyal to Pompey. How will Caesar prevail? And at what cost? 'The Gods of War' is the story of ambition and loyalty, of friendship and power, of love and war. A famous tale, of truly epic dimensions, it ranges from Rome to Greece to Egypt and back to Rome; it shows how brilliant generalship can completely turn the odds, how overwhelming success can change even the best of men; it depicts brilliantly those famous names -- Caesar, Marcus Brutus, Mark Antony, Pompey, Cicero, Cleopatra, Ptolemy -- so that they appear anew. This is a triumphant conclusion to the outstanding Emperor series.

About the Author

Born in London, Conn Iggulden read English at London University and worked as a teacher for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and children.

Prizes

/ Key title The fourth and final volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden brilliantly weaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar. / The fourth and final volume in the Emperor series, a fictionalised account of the life of Julius Caesar, told as a fast-paced historical adventure in the tradition of Bernard Cornwell. / The first volume 'Emperor: The Gates of Rome' reached No. 2 in the Sunday Times Bestseller list, and the second volume 'Emperor: The Death of Kings' reached No. 1. The third volume, 'Emperor: The Field of Swords' also reached No. 1 and stayed in the top ten for ten weeks. / Emperor 1, 2 and 3 has each sold over 80,000 hardbacks. / Competition: Bernard Cornwell, Valerio Manfredi, Steven Pressfield, Christian Jacq, A.B Daniels, Allan Massie, Allan Mallinson

Reviews

This is the fourth and possibly last installment in Iggulden's epic series (see also Emperor: The Field of Swords) chronicling the intertwined lives of Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus (the author leaves open the possibility of future books involving ancient Rome). Caesar has taken control of Rome, his rivals have been defeated or killed, and he has the Egyptian queen Cleopatra as his mistress. But now new enemies are gathering, especially the estranged Brutus, one of several men who fears that Caesar will declare himself king. This volume features some gripping moments but suffers from poorly defined motivation (e.g., Brutus appears petty) and strained dialog (e.g., "Did Caesar's friends really call him `Julius' when his first name was `Gaius'?"). Also, because it tries to say so much, it lacks the richness of Colleen McCullough's novels on Caesar and, although a different medium, the grit of HBO's addictive series Rome. Still, Gods of War is an entertaining and fairly compelling historical novel, an impressive feat considering everyone already knows the ending. For larger collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/05.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

'If you liked "Gladiator", you'll love "Emperor".' The Times 'A brilliant story -- I wish I'd written it. A novel of vivid characters, stunning action and unrelenting pace. It really is a terrific read.' Bernard Cornwell 'The great events and breathtaking brutality of the times are brought lavishly to life.' Guardian